Flooding a concern in severe weather

With melting snow and rising waterways, the threat of flooding is growing in many areas of Iowa. National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Wallenfang says many people don’t know flooding kills more Iowans every year than any other natural disaster. It’s not tornadoes or lightning strikes, but flash floods that cause the most weather-related deaths every year in Iowa and nationwide. As part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, Wallenfang says he hopes people today will learn a little respect for a swollen stream.Wallenfang, who works out of the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says many things can factor into issuing a flash flood watch or warning. He says the prime items include how much moisture is already in the ground and how much rain is expected. Wallenfang says with the spring snowmelt, any thunderstorms we see in April could cause flooding across the state. A flood warning was already issued earlier this week for the Shell Rock River in Floyd and Butler counties.